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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Alice Je T'aime

Upon arrival in Paris I couldn't help notice the current French obsession with Alice. Vitrine/windows are full of Alice figures (pronounced A-leecehere).At Printemps - 9 designers create special Alice dresses including the late Alexander McQueen... I ask Fr Girl, "What's up with all the Alice stuff?"Fr Girl says, "The French are obsessed with Aleece.""Ah ha" I say. The wheels turn. I put 2 + 2 together...Everywhere I see signs of Alice like this adorable pinney.My theory falls into place. Alice is the epitome of the naughty yet innocent little French school girl in her pinafore, long hair, hair ribbon and mary jane flats/ballerinas. Tim Burton's Alice is not so innocent looking. She looks like she's been round the block a few times.The dress is a disaster. Sorry Tim. Plus she has bazooms. Something many French girls are missing. I watch Fr Girl dress for work, fascinated by the layers she throws together. One day I say, "You look exactly like a French school girl in that outfit"Sonia adores the little girl sailor shirt - I would kill for one of these... The ageless French obsession with the child's ballerina fits perfectly into my Alice theory. So innocent.Headband with a big bow, worn with a decollete top reveals a black bra - naughty but nice. A grown French woman shopping with her beau, her ballerinas, her headband and long locks. Printemps has created a perfect chez Alice salon de the... From the escalator, you look down and watch the tea party. Colette stirred the pot with her naughty/nice school girl novels - Claudine à l'école, Claudine a Paris etc.

This schoolgirl caught me snapping in the Luxemburg jardin.

Lewis Carroll, inspired the French even more than the Brits in my humble opinion.

The Mad Hatters tea party continues...

Petite pastel macarons are the perfect accompaniment to the French school girl look.This is my theory and I'm sticking to it.

38 comments:

Love your blog Carol! Alice makes me smile too, She's everywhwere right now!...great photos. Also, I posted the painting you did for me on my blog (I gave you all the credit)...Your art and blog ROCKS! Keep it up!

Laduree's Alice Macaron Music box is incredible. Alice fever has certainly hit world-wide. How sad to see the late McQueen Alice dress. He genius was so magnificent. Carol yet another fabulous, informative, and fun post.Merci ~

Sweet, Carol--but you must see the movie. Alice's outfit you featured her in here is the outfit that she shrank down into, so they purposefully don't fit her here--this is not her "real" dress, but her shrunken body in her oversized clothes. If you see the movie, you'll understand.

Carol,Seems to me you have a lot in common with Alice.You like to travel to exotic localesand you somehow always have (and happily share) your colorful adventures & mis-adventures...ok, maybe not all (that's the naughty part)and Paris is definitely your very own "Wonderland."Great post.Bill

Wonderful Post! I have part of my Alice post from Bloomingdales in NYC. Tomorrow will post the clothes. We are obsessed with Marie Antoniette and the French with Alice! lol Go figure. I want the box with Macaroons from Laduree also! lol I would have definately spent the money for it. I love visiting your blog. Hugs Grace

Loved, loved, loved this post. Yes, I agree with your French = Alice comparison. Definitely more than British. Odd but true. Oh, how I wish I could fit into my school uniform look right now. Maybe if I drop 25 pounds ;)What a great time of the year to be in Paris. I will force myself to dream about it tonight.Maureen

One of the highlights of my 3 week visit to Paris was my day at Disneyland. They do not have the Alice in Wonderland ride like I was used to growing up in Anaheim. They had "Alice's Curious Labyrinth". It was a full sized maze that you walk through and see all the Alice characters (speaking French naturellement) The Queen of Hearts rages, "COUPEZ SA TETE!!!" At the end of the maze is the Queen of Hearts castle which you climb to the top and get a spectacular view of the entire park. They were celebrating their 10th anniversary at the time so there were parades and special shows. I was a kid again.

Just got back from London. They had a terrific exhibit at the British Library with the original manuscript and drawing by Lewis Caroll, along with various renditions of Alice through the ages. It was terrific.

That huge overhanging teapot in Printemps is fabulous, esp. with the live tea party below of mainly bored, or uncomfortable, Japanese (?) tourists -- hard to see clearly....

Loved the bunny mannequin too, and the bunny masquerade headpieces yesterday, if that's what they were, in the SR window.

And then we have the Tim Burton/ Parisienne Alice -- the leetle girl who is also naughty temptress. I like unexpected combinations, and at first it did seem interesting and creative to combine school girl hair bows with, say, black lace bras. But, um, er, if no one else is going to say it.... Well, I'm wondering about the revival -- or continuation -- of the two main stereotypes of woman as helpless child, and as seductive, manipulative femme fatale (literally, "deadly woman"). Now, in order to save time or something, we have them fused into one entity, or ensemble at any rate.... Not sure how helpful this is sociologically....

Any one out there agree, or shall I just lighten up (or, heaven forfend) shutten up?

Bonjour Carol,Really enjoyed this post. I've never thought about it before but you're right, French women do look a bit like Alice - in a way. I love how you point out so many little details that I seem to overlook. Merci!You must have brought all this beautiful sunshine with you!Mimi

Carol, I'm sure you know about this, but just on the offchance, here's the link for free macaron day!http://www.jourdumacaron.com/jourdefete.htmlFound it on chowhound, and of course thought of you. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!Berkshire Tsarina

I love Shelly's word; "Shutten."!Sounds almost Shakespearean,as in: "I bid you, good sir, to shutten your waggish,rapscallion tongue within a fortnight.That's about the same amount of time you're spending in Paris, Carol.Bill

Instead of the theory: 'naughty/yet innocent little French girl,' how about the idea of Jean d'Arc. Alice is an independent thinker who surely seemed strange to her peers; Jean stood outside her gender box and lead the French army. And eventually, Alice took up the sword and became the Champion, who slayed the Jaberwocky (sp?).

We are society's astute observers doncha know?Today Samuel Johnson would be blogging non?You in Vienna's cafesand moi on the streets and pastry shops of Paris.It's a dirty job but someones got to do itc'est la viexx cg

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l'Ile Saint Louis, Paris, Ile de France, France

Hi I'm Carol Gillott,
My Mom taught me watercolors at 5 and I'm still at it. Now I live by the Seine on l'Ile Saint-Louis. Do consider subscribing to my Paris letters and maps on Etsy and enjoy a taste of Paris in your mailbox every month to savor with a hot chocolate and croissant. I paint Paris dreams.